Wormwood, on stage in Toronto, is a story both “magnificent” and “heartbreaking”
Wormwood, playing at the Tarragon Theatre, is a carefully constructed story that interweaves aspects of nationalistic pride, folklore, love story, history, and Ukrainian diaspora, the result of which is a wonderful and delicate piece of crafted theatre that is provoking and powerful — one you won’t want to miss.
Built against the backdrop of the Orange Revolution — a time of mass political upheaval in Ukraine — this story takes a closer look at a nation divided and the misplaced intentions of North American ideals.
Nirbhaya by Nightwood Theatre explores rape and sexual assault in India, on stage in Toronto
The 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh Pandey horrified international news and led to large protests in the capital of India; the fury opened up space for women to speak their truth about sexual and physical assault, and one valuable contribution to this conversation is Yaël Farber’s play Nirbhaya, currently produced by Nightwood Theatre. It tells Pandey’s story, but also true stories from the lives of the performers. Continue reading Review: Nirbhaya (Nightwood Theatre)→
Perhaps you have always thought of this landmass as being called North America, and have never heard it called Turtle Island, as is common among First Nations and Metis communities. If that’s so, perhaps you are not familiar with the always-exceptional work of Native Earth Performing Arts. And if that’s so – or even if it isn’t – then gosh oh golly are there wonders in store for you this weekend during the last weekend of Weesageechak Begins to Dance 28.
Seminar, on stage in Toronto,confronts the “sad patriarchal truth of the literary sphere”
In Seminar, currently onstage at the Panasonic Theatre and produced by Mirvish, four young writers have put together an enormous amount of money to hire a famous author to critique their work. What they don’t expect is that the criticism will encompass their own characters, and also reveal the weaknesses of their would-be mentor. Continue reading Review: Seminar (Mirvish)→
Fat Pig, now on stage in Toronto, explores body stigma with humour and brutal honesty
Two fat women are walking away from The Red Sandcastle Theatre where they just saw Braveheart Productions’ Fat Pig, and one asks the other: “is that really what dating is like for other fat women?” The play is about a conventionally attractive guy who begins dating a plus-sized woman, and the torrent of abuse and mockery he endures from his “friends.”
I (the one being asked) looked at my friend and plus one Caryhn (the one asking) quite incredulously. “Well, yes. I mean, it’s like that for me, and most fat women I know who date cis men.” For this fat girl, this play was a big fat dose of tragic, sad (and hilarious) reality. Mostly.
